Leeds United ace Dan James needs to be looked after following his penalty miss for Wales, according to John Hartson.
The winger was the only player to miss his spot-kick in the Euro 2024 play-off final clash with Poland on Tuesday (26 March).
The match ended 0-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium, with the visitors winning 5-4 on penalties after James’ spot-kick was saved.
Writing on X immediately after the match, Hartson posted: “Heartache for Wales.. Dan James was brave enough to step up to take a penalty.. the boy will be devastated, he needs to be looked after now not thrown to the lions. Look after your own.”
Leeds United ace Dan James suffers Wales heartache
It was an exciting evening for all Wales fans and indeed players before kick-off, with the Cardiff City Stadium unsurprisingly in full voice.
But the nerves were also palpable, with such nerves increasing as the minutes dragged on and the scoreline remained goalless.
As was the case in the semi-final win against Finland, Leeds aces Joe Rodon, Connor Roberts and Ethan Ampadu were all trusted from the start by Rob Page, with James appearing from the bench.
But the substitute couldn’t make the same impact that he did against Finland, having scored off the bench in that 4-1 win.
He then suffered real heartache in the shootout, with Poland legend Wojciech Szczesny saving his spot-kick.
The Poles netted all five to secure their spot in this summer’s major tournament in Germany, much to the devastation of the majority of those inside the stadium.
James won’t forget about the miss for quite some time, but Whites manager Daniel Farke will need the player fully focused upon his return to Elland Road amid a tense Championship title race.
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